In Kuwait, the electricity behind an office water dispenser is close to a rounding error. Even at the higher of the two commercial rates reported for the current tariff, a busy chilled unit costs only a few dinars a year to power. What decides whether a dispenser is cheap or expensive to own here is the heat it works against, how the water reaches it, the filters and servicing it needs, and whether you are paying for water by the bottle.
This guide is written for office managers, facilities teams and business owners in Kuwait comparing a mains-fed dispenser with bottled supply, or checking what an existing unit really costs.
TL;DR
- Kuwait's 2016 tariff law raised power prices for business users, but reports disagree on the commercial rate: 5 fils or 25 fils per kWh.[1][2] At either figure, powering a dispenser costs a few dinars a year.
- There is no VAT in Kuwait, so the bill figure is the full cost.[3]
- Summer heat is the bigger issue. Warm tank water and hot rooms make the chiller work harder and shorten component life.
- Filters and planned service visits, and for bottled sites the bottles themselves, make up most of the annual cost.
- Ask for a written quotation that separates equipment, installation, filters and service so you can compare offers fairly.
In this article
- Why the power bill is the smallest line
- Kuwait's summer and your dispenser
- What the water itself costs
- Bottled supply: where the money goes
- Hot water for tea and coffee
- Reading a dispenser quotation
- Frequently asked questions
Why the power bill is the smallest line
Law No. 20 of 2016 set new electricity and water charges for non-residential users, and the higher commercial charges were phased in during 2017.[1][2] Press reports at the time give different commercial electricity rates. Arab Times reported 5 fils per kWh for the investment and commercial sector, while Kuwait Times reported 25 fils per kWh for government and commercial users.[1][2] Check the rate printed on your Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy (MEWRE) bill before relying on either.
To show the scale of the cost, we have used BRITA's published energy figures for three of its dispensers.[4] Each figure is measured over 24 hours for a stated daily draw. We assumed 250 days of normal use and 115 days where the unit is switched on but little used, which suits a Sunday to Thursday office.
| Office | Unit and daily draw | Energy a year | Cost at 5 fils | Cost at 25 fils |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small team of about 10 | BRITA Top Compact, 10 litres chilled | 68.6 kWh | KD 0.34 | KD 1.72 |
| Floor of about 50 | BRITA Top Pro, 60 litres chilled | 219.7 kWh | KD 1.10 | KD 5.49 |
| Floor of about 50 with boiling water | BRITA Extra C-Tap, 10 litres hot and 60 litres chilled | 652 kWh | KD 3.26 | KD 16.30 |
With no VAT to add, those are the whole electricity costs. Even the boiling-and-chilled unit at the higher rate costs less a year than a single service visit is likely to. For comparison against other makes, ask each supplier for the unit's standby energy in kWh per 24 hours and the daily volume it was tested at.
The BRITA Top Pro is the model behind the 50-person example.
Kuwait's summer and your dispenser
The World Meteorological Organization has verified a reading of 53.9°C at Mitribah, in north-west Kuwait, on 21 July 2016, one of the highest temperatures reliably recorded anywhere.[5] Laboratory energy figures are not taken in those conditions, and a dispenser feels the difference in three places.
- The water arriving at the unit. Most buildings store water in roof or ground tanks. In July and August that water can reach the dispenser warm, and the chiller has to take the heat out before it can deliver cold water. BRITA gives 30°C as the maximum water inlet temperature for its CLARITY Protect 100 dispenser filter.[4] Measure the inlet temperature at the connection point during a survey in summer, not only in winter.
- The room. The same filter is rated for ambient temperatures up to 40°C.[4] Pantries without air-conditioning at night, or cupboards next to ovens and dishwashers, can exceed that. Place the unit in a conditioned space and keep the vents clear.
- The duty cycle. A chiller that runs longer uses more power and wears its compressor and fans faster. Expect real consumption above the published figures in a hot pantry, and plan preventive servicing before summer.
What the water itself costs
For a mains-fed unit, the water drawn is billed by MEWRE along with the rest of the building's supply. The same 2017 reports give commercial water at either KD 2 or KD 4 per 1,000 imperial gallons.[1][2]
A floor drawing 60 litres a working day uses about 15,000 litres a year, or roughly 3,300 imperial gallons. At those rates the water costs between about KD 6.60 and KD 13.20 a year. Like the electricity, it is a small line.
Bottled supply: where the money goes
A bottled cooler still needs power to chill and heat, so its electricity cost is much the same as a mains-fed unit. The difference is that every litre is bought, delivered and carried.
That 15,000 litres a year equals about 794 bottles of 18.9 litres, or around 16 a week. Multiply by the price on your own delivery invoice, then add deposits, delivery charges and any cooler rental. Remember the hidden costs too: storage space for full and empty bottles, staff time lifting 19 kg bottles, and the hygiene risk of changing bottles by hand. Our guide to mains-fed water savings in Kuwait goes through the comparison in more detail.
Hot water for tea and coffee
Kettles and urns are common in Kuwaiti offices, and they use electricity too. BRITA's own comparison for a 50-person office puts a kettle at about 1.8 kWh a day once reboiling is counted, against 2.24 kWh a day for its C-Tap supplying boiling and chilled water together.[4] If a tap replaces both the kettle and a separate chiller, the change in energy is small, and staff get filtered water at controlled temperatures from one outlet.
The BRITA Extra C-Tap is the unit behind the boiling-water example. Our boiling water tap versus kettle guide for Kuwait compares them in more depth.
Reading a dispenser quotation
Because electricity and water are so cheap, compare offers on the lines that carry real money:
| Line on the quotation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Equipment | Model, chilled and hot capacity, and standby energy per 24 hours |
| Installation | Water connection, drain if needed, and electrical point |
| Filters | Cartridge type, rated capacity in litres and maximum months in service |
| Servicing | Visits a year, what each visit includes, and response time for faults |
| Summer readiness | Whether the survey measured inlet water and room temperature |
A filter is changed when it reaches its rated litres or its time limit, whichever comes first. The CLARITY Protect 100 is rated at 11,500 litres,[4] so a floor drawing 15,000 litres a year would need more than one change a year on volume alone. A service visit normally covers the filter change, sanitising the waterways and a function check. Sovereign Water's maintenance service runs on a fixed schedule, and our office water dispenser guide for Kuwait covers choosing a unit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to power a water dispenser in Kuwait?
Very little. On BRITA's figures, a busy chilled unit uses about 220 kWh a year, which is between about KD 1 and KD 5.50 depending on the commercial rate on your bill.
What is the commercial electricity rate in Kuwait?
Reports of the 2016 tariff law differ, giving either 5 or 25 fils per kWh for commercial users. Your MEWRE bill shows the rate that applies to you.
Is VAT charged on electricity in Kuwait?
No. Kuwait has not introduced VAT.
Does the heat affect a dispenser's running cost?
Yes. Warm tank water and hot rooms make the chiller run longer, which raises energy use and wears parts faster. Site the unit in a conditioned room.
Is bottled water cheaper than a mains-fed dispenser?
Rarely for a permanent office. Power costs are similar, but bottled supply adds a charge for every litre, plus delivery and handling.
Request a quotation
Tell us your area, headcount, daily use, whether you need boiling or sparkling water, and what you pay now for bottles or rental. Our Kuwait team will prepare a written quotation with each cost shown separately.
Sources
[1] Arab Times, report on the approved electricity and water tariffs, March 2017: https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/electricity-water-tariffs-sanctioned/
[2] Kuwait Times, report on the new MEW electricity and water tariffs, 22 April 2017: https://kuwaittimes.com/mew-new-electricity-water-tariffs-aim-rationalization/
[3] PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Kuwait, other taxes: https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/kuwait/corporate/other-taxes
[4] BRITA, water dispensers (energy consumption guiding values and filter data): https://www.brita.co.uk/water-dispensers
[5] World Meteorological Organization, verification of the 53.9°C Mitribah record: https://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-verifies-3rd-and-4th-hottest-temperature-recorded-earth